The Quarters of Florence

The most imposing monument in this part of the city is the Santa Maria del Fiore, the Gothic cathedral with the magnificent dome which is a trademark feature of the Florentine landscape. Built on the site of an ancient basilica, the Santa Reparata, the new cathedral was at once a demographic and a social necessity. Florence had grown in population, the old church was disintegrating, a new one was clearly called for. Why not take the opportunity to make a point and build a cathedral even more impressive than the magnificent new churches at Pisa and Sienna, the Florentines of the late 13th century would have thought. Accordingly, Arnolfo di Campio, a famous architect of the time, won the prestigious commission. The first stone of the new church was laid on September 9th, 1296. The project took 170 years to complete, but when it was done, it had the capacity to seat a whopping 30,000 people, and was the largest cathedral of the time in all of Europe. Florence had indeed made a statement. Even today, only a handful of churches, including St Peters in the Vatican, surpass it in terms of size. The church was consecrated in 1436.

Step into the premises of this magnificent building, and be awed by its intricate beauty. The façade is of exquisite marble in shades of green and rose, bordered in white. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is intricately decorated and matches the nearby Bell Tower and the Baptistery. The three massive bronze doors that lead into the building are also decorated with scenes from the life of the mother of Christ.

Look above the main door, and you’ll see a rather unusual clock – a one-handed one – in good working order. This is a liturgical clock, showing a scheme of time ending at sunset in 24 hours. Made in 1443 by Paolo Uccello, this is one of the few remaining clocks of its kind.

When you enter the cathedral, you might find the interior surprisingly bare for such a grand building – the lack of ostentation was deliberate, a reflection of the then prevalent idea of austere worship. Also, some of the art works which were in the cathedral originally, such as the Cantorial pulpits, have now been moved out to the Museo Dell’Opera Del Duomo. Make a trip to the museum and feast your eyes on the wonders. You will see Michelangelo Pietà and Arnolfo di Cambio’s "Boniface VIII" among other stupendous works of art.

Within the cathedral itself, the breathtaking stained glass windows more than make up for the comparative paucity of elaborate statues and carvings. Each is a work of art on its own.

But the most outstanding aspect of the Cathedral is of course its dome. Arnolfo di Cambio, the original architect, had built a wooden dome for the church, but in 1419, the Arte della Lana announced a competition to design and build a new dome and cupola for the cathedral. Filliop Brunelleschi defeated his nearest rival, Lorenzo Ghiberti, to win the commission. His was an innovative design, an octagonal double-walled dome resting on a drum and not on the roof itself. The massive structure took more than 4 million bricks to complete. It was the largest dome in the world at that time, and remains the largest masonry one till date. It was also the first octagonal one to be built without a wooden supporting frame. The lantern atop the structure was finally completed by Brunelleschi’s friend Michelozzo many years after the former died. The copper ball which you see on top now was not the original one. That was toppled by lightning in 1600, and the present one, which was even larger than the first, was placed there two years later.

A giant statue of Brunelleschi sits in the Piazza del Duomo, looking up at this crowning achievement. When you visit the Bell Tower, designed by Giotto, look out for the double and triple windows.

The cathedral, the Bell Tower, the Baptistry and the Museum are cared for by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, a lay institution originally founded in 1296 by the Republic of Florence to supervise the construction of the Cathedral and Bell Tower.

The San Giovanni quarter abounds with other shrines, such as the Church of Orsanmichele, also designed by Arnolfo di Cambio. It was originally a market-cum-granary. Then there is the basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici chapels with works by Rosso Fiorentino, Desiderio da Settignano, Donatello and Bronzino. Close by are the Old and the New Sacristy by Brunelleschi and Michelangelo respectively, the latter containing the Medici family tombs.

The Basilica of the SS. Annunziata is also a famous Florentine place of worship, and dates back to 1250. It houses an image of the Virgin Mary which is believed to have miraculous powers.